jrhodo Posted December 28, 2010 Report Share Posted December 28, 2010 Buck is 14 months. He gets excited when people leave and barks and then runs to the window to watch them. Each morning, my husband has a routine that involves putting things in a plastic grocery bag and pouring coffee before he leaves. As soon as Buck hears the bag, he gets excited and runs to the door. He has started nipping at my husband's hand as he leaves. My husband didn't mention this to me until it had become a habit. I have tried sit-stays, but Buck has little control in this situation (he has no problem with sit-stay any other time, including at work when he really wants to go greet someone or chase a squirrel). My husband is not a dog person, and doesn't understand training. He will probably be little help in this situation. Now he wakes me and tells me to deal with the dog and I bring Buck into a different room. Buck still gets excited and I'd rather not get up at 6:00 am to deal with this. Any ideas? Background: Buck is a high energy BC. He works with me everyday at golf courses. His job is chasing geese. The rest of the time he rides around in my cart, I'm the horticulturalist. He is well behaved and normally great at following commands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Devils Posted December 28, 2010 Report Share Posted December 28, 2010 Put him on a leash so you can control him or have your husband crate him if you use a crate. You could also try filling a kong with something yummy and freeze overnight. When you husband is about to leave he gives the kong to your dog and see if that sidetracks him enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4ever Posted December 28, 2010 Report Share Posted December 28, 2010 Buck is 14 months. He gets excited when people leave and barks and then runs to the window to watch them. Each morning, my husband has a routine that involves putting things in a plastic grocery bag and pouring coffee before he leaves. As soon as Buck hears the bag, he gets excited and runs to the door. He has started nipping at my husband's hand as he leaves. I have tried sit-stays, but Buck has little control in this situation. My husband is not a dog person, and doesn't understand training. He will probably be little help in this situation. Now he wakes me and tells me to deal with the dog and I bring Buck into a different room. Buck still gets excited and I'd rather not get up at 6:00 am to deal with this. Any ideas? Boy, does this sound familiar! Scooter (just turned 6 in December) has been doing this for some time now. He reads human body language very well, and sometimes just a shift in their position, or someone saying, "Well..", which usually means they're getting ready to leave, will set him off, running in a circle, through the dining room, down the hall, into the kitchen, round and round, picking up speed with every lap. When they reach the door, he barks and has been known to nip at their heels. We've tried "go to your place," down/stay, and nothing much works unless I can catch him before he gets anxious and either put his leash on him or put him in another room, which isn't always possible. DH doesn't try to stop him in the morning when he leaves either--he just yells at him. Then he feeds Scooter's anxiety by opening the front door when anyone leaves, so he can watch them go, which usually involves barking, whining and jumping repeatedly on the glass door. I'm afraid he's going to go through it one of these days. He thinks it's cute to "let him wave goodbye." I hope someone reads this and has some answers. Other than that, he's a very well mannered, socialized Border Collie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninso Posted December 28, 2010 Report Share Posted December 28, 2010 Crating overnight? That way you wouldn't have to get up to "deal with the dog." Or maybe you can train hubby to bring the dog to another room himself when he gets up in the morning? There are many training solutions here, but without your husband's cooperation you probably have little hope of solving the problem that way, unless you can recruit a friend to help try to replicate the triggers. It would probably be effective to teach a "go to mat" to solve this behavior, but you'd need to build up the distractions gradually and simply cuing a sit-stay at 6am when you're unhappy about being awake and a very strong trigger is present is not (as you've found) going to be effective for you. It sounds like general obedience/impulse-control work would be a good idea. My own three dogs understand "stay here/in" to mean they are not coming with and they will not get wound up and try to rush out the door when they hear that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted December 28, 2010 Report Share Posted December 28, 2010 I think that one thing that might be helpful is for you to ask your husband what he is willing to do. If he is willing to go in and get you to tell you to deal with the dog, might he be willing to bring the dog in to you and close the door? Or might he be willing to put the dog in a crate before getting ready to go, perhaps with a Kong that you have frozen and ready to go? If he does not want to take part in training, that is his choice, but maybe if you can make something simple - like putting the dog in with you first thing - part of his routine, he might be willing to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SecretBC Posted December 29, 2010 Report Share Posted December 29, 2010 I think the Kong is the way to go. My dogs used to get very anxious about me leaving and would bark at the window as I drove away. I started the Kong routine many months ago and now they run back into the house after their final potty break and wait expectantly -- Now it's like they are practically pushing me out the door, wanting me to leave so they can have their Kongs. I line mine with canned dog food, cap it with peanut butter & freeze it. I figure they must last upwards of an hour or so. Long enough that they are ready for a nap when they are done. They are easy enough to set up the night before so that your hubby can just grab one and give it to the dog before he leaves. To make your life easier, maybe buy five so that you only have to do Kong prep once a week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dex BC Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 My 14 month old Border Collie (Dexter) has the same issue...from the sound of this discussion thread it is a common BC problem. I think for Dexter it is separation anxiety? He tends to exhibit this behaviour more with family and friends which he knows well. Dexter runs at top speed between the dining room and living room windows and jumps about 3 feet in the air barking the entire time. I've found that the only remedy is to crate him or hold him on his leash at the door while someone leaves. He does not nip at heals or hands at any time which is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelleybean Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 My BC also hates it when any of her "pack" leaves. I assumed it was a herding thing. She thinks she must keep us together and gets very upset if any of her herd breaks away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dex BC Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 My BC also hates it when any of her "pack" leaves. I assumed it was a herding thing. She thinks she must keep us together and gets very upset if any of her herd breaks away. I would tend to agree; it is especially bad with my kids and my in-laws which I think Dex views as his pack since they have been around him the most since he was a puppy. He is very close with my father-in-law who loves dogs. (probably due in part to the dog treats he brings to the house!) He has also bonded with my 3 year old daughter and is her personal protector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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